Bull board for stock car doors



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June 30, 1931. c. H. THORNHILL BULL BOARD FOR STOCK CAR DOORS Filed July 31, 1928 Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES H. THORNHILL, OF PRiESl-IO, SOUTH DAKOTA BULL BOARD FOR STOCK CAR DOORS Application filed July 31, 1928. Serial No. 2965455.

This invention relates to doors for stock cars, and more particularly to novel means for easily and quickly obstructing the door opening to prevent the animals from leav- 5 ing the car during the loading procedure.

In loading cars with live stock it is essential to provide some means that may be easily and quickly brought into play to prevent the animal from bolting back through 10 the door-way to not only avoid injury to the animal but also to the men assisting in the loading operation. Devices of this type heretofore used are more or less complicated and involve the use of hinges, chains, bolts, 15 pins or the like which require time for adjusting and under the conditions of loadlng the matter of a few seconds is frequently of much importance. In some cases devices now being used require two men to bring as them into use and furthermore are of eX cessive weight which make them cumbersome to manipulate.

Accordingly, the present invention has primarily in view a safety bar for stock car doors which eliminates the use of bolts, pins, or hinges and which will automatically and quickly drop into position for use and be securely locked against accidental displacement. In that connection the invention also so contemplates a device which may be brought into use in a comparatively few seconds; which is light and easily handled by one man; and which costs considerably less to install and maintain than devices heretofore used.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanymg drawings, in which t Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door involving the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings the doorway of the stock car C is provided with a novel doorframe including the side members or jambsl and the top member or lintel 2, the inside faces of the jambs beingp'rovided with an upper keeper socket 3 and a lower keeper socket 4 connected by an intermediate guide-way '5 which establishes communication between the keeper sockets referred to. The guide-way 5' is vertically disposed and each of the keeper sockets are obliquely disposed with reference to the guideway, toward the outside face of the jambs, thereby providing the looking or detaining shoulders 3 and 4 .These shoulders are preferably convergently related and inclined toward the guideway 5 to facilitate the quick manipulation of the safety bar 6.

The said safety bar is preferably a, relatively stout piece of material whichiis freely slidable in the guideway 5 thereby to readily drop from the elevated position 1,

shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 to the lowered position shown in dotted lines, or, on the other hand to permit the operator to elevate the bar from the lowered to the elevated position to clear the door-way.

When the bar 6 is in the elevated position shown in the drawings it will be apparent that the same is held in that position to permit the entrance of the animals, and as soon as the animal is inside of the car it is only necessary for the operator standing at the door-way to pull thebar inwardly to release it from engagement with shoulder 3 and permit it to drop to the bottom of the guideway 5. Therefore, the only unlocking movement requiredis the mere pulling of the bar so that its lower edge swings inwardly into the guideway. When the bar strikes the bottom of the guideway itautomatically rocks or falls outwardly beneath the shoulder 4 so that even if the animal should kick or back out the bar is effectively held against accidental displacement. When the animal is safely in the car the operator may pull the bar 6 inwardly to parts throughout the several disengage it from beneath the shoulders 4 whereupon it may be manually elevated and easily placed behind the upper shelf or restraining shoulder 3.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present construction, Which includes the safety bar 6, is simple, practical and reliable, and may be easily operated by one man who need not stand directly in the doorway While the animal is being driven into the car, but who may stand on the outside of the car and merely push or knock the bar inwardly to release it so that it will automatically drop to obstructing relation.

Thus, the present construction has a dual safety feature, namely, that of preventing the animals from backing or otherwise returning through the door-way while at the same time protecting the operators loading the cars. The simplicity of the construction, eliminating the use of metallic accessories of the type previously referred to, not only adds to the ease of operation but also reduces the cost of installation and maintenance and minimizes the hazards incident to the use of sharp metallic obstructions that might otherwise injure men or the animals.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A stock car door, including a doorframe whose opposite jamb members are each provided with vertical guideways and also with keeper sockets inclining toward the outside of the jamb member and located at opposite ends of the guideways, a safety bar slidable in the guideways and adapted to be alternately placed in either one of said keeper sockets.

2. A safety bar for stock car doorways, including a door frame whose opposite j amb members are provided with a vertical guideway, shoulders offset from the guideway at the side thereof and said shoulders being re- "ersely related, and a safety bar slidable in the guideway and adapted to rest on one of said shoulders to maintain the bar elevated, and when lowered adapted to engage with the other of said shoulders to prevent upward movement of the bar in the guldewa 1 1 i testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES H. THORNHILL. 

